Safety releasing device for the sheets of boats, tow-lines, &amp;c.



No. 703,78. Patented "luly i, 19(32.

0. smma & a. .1. one.

' SAFETY RELEASIN'G DEVICE FOR THE SHEETS 0F BOATS, TOW LINES, 8d).

' (Application filed m. 24, 1902.

(No Model.

illlllllii w @I W UNITED STAT S;

CHARLES SMITH, or SQUTH (movnon, AND GEORGE JAMES ROMFORD, ENGLAND.

PATENT OFFICE.

HONE, OF

SAFETY REL EASlNG DEVICE FORTHE SHEETS 0F BOATS, TOW-LINES, &'c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 703,713, dated July 1, 1902.

' Applicati hfiled March 24,1902. Serial No. 99,592. (No model.)

To aZZ whom/it may concern.-

Be it known "that we, CHARLES SMITH,

and useful Improved Safety Release Device for the Sheets of Boat s,'Tow-Lines, and other Connections, (for whichwe have made application for patent in Great Britain under No. 20,254, dated the 10th of October, 1901,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to the construction and combination of parts composing a compact and efficient safety release device for holding the sails or sheets of boats or ships, for holding tow-lines, or for holding'an y other objects or connections, the device being calculated to effect automatically the release of any such connection upon the application thereto of a predetermined strain, while at the same time the device is designed that it may be adjusted so that the strain or degree of force which is necessary to effect the automatic release can be varied according'to the circumstances of any particular application.

it is eminently suitable-that is, for holding and automatically releasing the sails or sheets of boats or ships-and forreleasing tow-lines when in either case the predetermined strain 5 T which the holding device receives has been duly reached.

The use and importance of such a device will be readily appreciated in its application for holding the sheets of sailing-boats, for it is well understood that it is highly requisite have been prevented had the sail been released at the moment when the strain upon of South Croydon, in the county of Surrey, and GEORGE J AMES HoNE, of Romford, in the county of EsseX,England,subjects of the King of Great Britainfliave invented a certain new.

Many such accidents could well the sheet had reached the limit of that safe load, the exceeding of which became a danger to the stability of the boat.

As'another example of the utility of such a device, as hereafter set forth, we might well refer to its use in holding tow-lines or cables employed'when one vessel tows another. In such cases the safe load which the steel-wire cable is calculated to withstand is well known and the unavoidable exceeding of this safe load frequently results in the breaking of the cable and disaster, or at least great danger of disaster, as Well as'the rendering useless of a valuable cable. It is in such cases, among others, that a device such as We are about to describe presents very important features of advantagein its application and use, it being so constructed that in the instance we have just mentioned, Where it is applied for holding the sheets of sails, the latter are instantaneously and automatically released upon receiving a wind-pressure acting with a greater force than the stability of the boat can well withstand, while one and the same apparatus or release device can be easily adjusted and set to release any connection when the connection is subjected to a predetermined and definite amount of strain or "force; Thus one and the same device may be adjusted to suit boats or sails difiering in size, so that the sheeti'is released when the wind-pressure exerts a'force, upon the sail of a definite number of pounds per square foot.

Our device broadly consists of two members, capable of rectilinear motion one upon another, such motion acting to compress a spring or springs carried in or by one of the said members, and We arrange that when one of the members is moved upon the other through a predetermined distance against the action of the spring or springs that a jointed hook or sheave shall be automatically released. One of these members may be attached, for example, to a boat, and the sail is attached by its sheet to the releasing hook or sheave carried by the other member, and thus when the pressure upon the sail has become sufficient to compress the spring and allow of relative motion between the two members through a certain distance the releasing hook or sheave is set free and the sail thus automatically released.

Such being the general character of the device or appliance according to our invention, we will now describe the same in greater detail.

Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section a device constructed according to our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the hook which holds the connection in the position it assumes at the moment of release. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line XY of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 shows an elevation of the release end of the device, where a sheave is substituted for the hook shown in the previous figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, we provide a cylinder or casing 1, fitted at one end with a hook, loop, or equivalent 2, by which it may be attached or connected to a pivot by which it is to be held, and this cylinder 1 and loop -2 form the first member hereinbefore mentioned. Near the opposite end of this cylinder 1 there is fixed or formed an interior diaphragm 3, through which freely passes a plunger-rod at, the latter being screwed at its inner end 5, the thread thereon engaging a piston 6. This piston G is prevented from rotating, but is permitted to move longitudinally in the cylinder 1, by radial studs 7, which enter longitudinal slots or grooves 8 in the wall of the cylinder.

Between the piston 6 and the fix'ed diaphragm 3 we locate the helical spring or springs through which the plunger passes, and in the example shown there are two such springs 9 and 10, the spring 10 being located within the spring 9 and is employed to increase the force acting against a withdrawal of the plunger from the cylinder 1, while allowing of the device being produced of small and compact size relatively to its capacity. In this example the inner spring 10 is shown somewhat less in length normally than the spring 9, so that it would come into action at a rather later time than the spring 9, and it will be understood that where the resistance to motion of the plunger 1 is to be great that more than two springs may be arranged one within the other, and they should be of such relative diameters that they can freely work one within the other.

The outer end of the plunger rod 4- is formed with a head 11, to which is jointed at 12 a hook part 13, the free end or point of the hook entering, as at Figs. 1 and 2, within the interior of that end of the cylinder 1 which extends beyond the diaphragm 3. By

these means the hook 13 is prevented from turning about its pivot-pin 12 until a sufficient tension has been applied to that partwhich is secured to the hook to compress the springs 9 and 10 and to draw the point of the hook from out of the end of the cylinder, when the hook part 13 will immediately turn about its pivot 12 into the position shown at Fig. The point of the hook is fitted with a stud 14, which in the position shown at Figs. 1 and 2 engages in a groove or slot 15 in the end of the cylinderand is normally held therein by a spring 16, carried in the head 11 of the plunger and acting against the point of the hook. By these means when the hook is in the position shown at Figs. 1 and 2 it is prevented from being revolved accidentally or otherwise relatively to the part 1 by its stud 14.

Inasmuch as it is necessary on occasions to open the hook by turning it about its pivot 12 without using the force requisite to compress the springs S) and 10, a release-slot 17, Figs. 3 and 4-, is formed at one part of the cylinder end, so that by pressing upon the hook 13, so as to act upon the spring 16, the stud ll can be easily brought out of the slot 15 and the plunger *1, with the hook, can be revolved until the point of the hook coincides with the release-slot 17, through which it Will pass, so as to permit the hook being turned back upon its pivot.

WVhen the hook 13 is released from the cylinder end 1, the plunger may be rotated, as

aforesaid, and since the piston G is prevented from rotating it is drawn along the plunger by the screw-thread 5, and thus the tension of the springs can be altered.

Upon the periphery of the cylinder adjacent to one of the slots 8, Fig. 2, we provide a graduated index, so that by rotating one of the members relatively to the other member the piston 6 may be caused to so alter its position as to set the apparatus to release upon a desired and predctermed force being applied.

We have shown the part which is to be released in the form of a hook 13; but equivalent connections may be employedsuch, for instance, as the yoke 18, (shown at Fig. 5,) carrying a sheave 19, the yoke being hinged at 21 and operatingin a precisely similar manner to the aforesaid hook. The slots 8 may be covered, if desired, by a sliding sleeve-tube 20. (Indicated by dotted lines at Fig. 1.)

In some cases we provide a lug or other attachment on the cylinder 1 to receive one end of a flexible connection, the other end of which may be attached to the hook, and the part to be held, such as the sheet of a boatsail, may be attached to such connection by a pulley-block, and so form a well-known tackle by which to increase the eifective action of the springs 9 and 10 and render the device capable of sustaining a far greater load than it would otherwise do if the sheet of a sail, for instance, was connected directly to the hook.

\Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

p I the opposite end of the cylinder, of a plun- 5 having a diaphi agm near one open end, and

a loop near the other end by which it is fixed to any required part; of a plunger entering the cylinder, and passing through the diaphragm, a piston on the inner end of the plun' ger, springs acting between the diaphragm and the piston, a head to the plunger exterior of the diaphragm, a bent arm for receiving the connection to be automatically released, a pivot connecting one end of the arm to the plunger-head, the free end of the arm normally entering within the open end of the cylinder, and being there retained, until upon its withdrawal from the cylinder by the application of the predetermined force,it is permitted to open by turning about its pivot, substantially as described.

2. A device for holding, and for automatically releasing the sheets of boat-sails, towlines, and other connections, upon the application of a predetermined amount of force; consisting in the combination with a cylinder, means for connecting one end of the cylinder to a part by which it is to be held, and an interior diaphragm near the opposite end of the cylinder, the open end of the cylinder projecting beyond the said diaphragm; of a plunger passing through and guided by the diaphragm, a piston on the inner end of the plunger, helical springs located around the plunger. between the piston and the diaphragm, means for adjusting the piston longitudinally upon the plunger for tensionally adjusting the springs, a bent attachmentarm pivoted to the outer end of the plunger for receiving the connection to be released, the free end of the said attachment-arm being normally located within the open end of the cylinder to prevent it releasing the connection by turning about its pivot upon the plunger end, until sufficient force is applied to pull out the plunger against the action of the aforesaid springs, and thereby withdraw the said free end of the attachment part from Within the cylinder end, substantially as set forth.

3. In devices for holding, and for automatically releasing the sheets of boat-sails, towlines, and other connections, upon the appli-' cation of a predetermined amount of force; the combination with a cylinder, means for connecting one end of the cylinder to a part by which it'is to be held, an interior diaphragm near the opposite end of the cylinder, an open-ended portion of the cylinder projecting beyond the diaphragm, a longitudinal release-slot in the open end of the cylinder, and longitudinal guiding-slots near ger entering the cylinder, andpassing through the diaphragm and capable of longitudinal and rotary motion relatively to the cylinder,

a screw-thread on the innerend of the plunger, a piston carried by the plunger, and engaging its screw-thread, means for preventing revolution of the piston, while permitting of its longitudinal motion within the cylinder, a helical spring located'between the pis ton and the diaphragm of the cylinder, and tensionally adjustable by rotating the plunger, a head on the plunger exterior of the diaphragm, a pivotcarried by the plungerhead, a bent attachment-arm hinging about the pivot, the free end of the said arm normally entering within the open end of the cylinder to prevent motion of the arm about its pivot, the free end of the said arm being capable of release, by revolving the plunger until the free end of the arm coincides with the release-slot of the cylinder, or automatically by the application of sufficient force to draw out the plunger and with it the end of the said bent arm clear of the end of the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

4- In devices for holding, and for automatically releasing the sheets of boat-sails, towlines, and other connections, upon the application of a predetermined amount of force; the combination of a cylinder, a loop on one end thereof for connection to apart by which the cylinder is to be held, a diaphragm within the opposite end of the cylinder, and an open* ended portion thereof projecting beyond the diaphragm, a plunger entering the cylinder, passing through the diaphragm, and adapted to be slid and revolved relatively to the cylinder, a piston adjustably connected to the plunger within the cylinder, a helical spring surrounding the plunger,and located between the piston and the diaphragm, a second helical spring of larger diameter than the first, surrounding the first spring, a head on the plunger exterior of the diaphragm, a pivot carried by the head, a bent attachment-arm movable about the pivot, the free end of the said arm normally entering within the projecting'open end of the cylinder to prevent the motion of the arm about its pivot, until by the application ofthe predetermined force, the plunger is drawn out sufficiently to free the arm and release any connection held thereby, a'studon the free endof the arm, and a longitudinal slot in the end of the cylinder with which the stud engages to prevent accidental rotation of the plunger and arm relatively to the cylinder, and a spring on the plunger-head to hold the arm-stud in engagement with the slot, a release-slot in the wall of the cylinder at the open end thereof calculated to allow the exit thereby of the free end of the arm when the latter is released from its stud-carrying slot and is revolved to coincide with the release-slot, substantially as described.

5. In devices for holding, and for automatically releasing the sheets of boat-sails, towliues, and other connections, upon the application of a predetermined amount of force; the combination with a cylinder, a loop on &

the end thereof for attaching it to the part by which it is to be held, an interior diaphragm near the opposite end-of the cylinder, the open end of the latter projecting beyond the diaphragm, a plunger passing into the cylinder through the diaphragm, a piston adjustably fixed to the plunger Within the cylinder, helical springs located between the piston and the diaphragm, a head to the plunger, a pivot carried by the head, a hook-shaped arm carried by the pivot, the free end of the arm entering Within the open end of the cylinder to normally prevent the arm turning about its pivot until sufficient force has been applied to the hook-shaped arm to draw its end, against the action of the springs, from out of the cylin- CHARLES SMITH. GEORGE JAMES IIONE.

Witnesses:

T. W. ROGERS, WM. W. MARsHALL. 

